Is Komodo open after the 2026 earthquake? What reports say

By Komodo 4D3N Editorial Desk

Based on reports dated August and September 2026, not current status: Jakarta Globe reported in August that sailing access to the park had reopened and that activities had resumed at Padar, Loh Liang, Loh Buaya and Gili Lawa. Whether Komodo is open after the 2026 earthquake today is something to confirm with your provider and the tourism authority.

What happened in the August 2026 earthquake?

A major earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara on 15 August 2026. It killed and injured many people across the region, and that matters more than any travel question. This page is only a dated record for travellers with plans in the area.

Sources give different figures, largely because they were written at different times:

Read the casualty line with its date in mind. Counts after a disaster tend to change, and the figure given here may itself have been revised since. We are not in a position to update it in real time and we do not treat this page as a live record.

Did it reach Labuan Bajo?

Yes. Wikipedia reports that BMKG, Indonesia's meteorological agency, gave an intensity of MMI VII in West Manggarai, the regency that includes Labuan Bajo. Jakarta Globe's statement that Marina Labuan Bajo was back to normal implies some disruption before that report.

The reports give no list of damaged buildings, piers or hotels in Labuan Bajo. They say the earthquake was felt strongly there, and they stop short of an inventory of damage. If you have a hotel booked, ask the hotel directly and specifically. Our page on Labuan Bajo before a Komodo boat trip was not written as a post-earthquake account, so do not read it as one.

Is Komodo open after the 2026 earthquake, and what reopened?

The most detailed report here is Jakarta Globe's from August 2026. According to that report:

• Marina Labuan Bajo was back to normal.
• Sailing access to the park had reopened.
• Activities had resumed at Padar, Loh Liang on Komodo Island, Loh Buaya on Rinca, and Gili Lawa.

That covers the main names on a typical boat plan, but it answers a narrower question than people often assume. It says activities had resumed at those areas when the article was written. It does not say every trail, viewpoint or dive site was unaffected, and it says nothing about conditions in the months since. Nor does it address the many smaller stops on a boat route, so ask about those by name. Two seller pages go further: Maika Dive, updating on 26 August, lists the park, Labuan Bajo tourism, tourist boats and Komodo Airport as operating, and Ocean Earth Travels, on a page that shows no last-checked date, lists the park and Labuan Bajo sailing as open while naming a closure elsewhere in Flores, the Riung marine park. Both sell trips, so read them as sellers' statements and ask your provider for the position on your dates.

Is Komodo Airport working?

Jakarta Globe reported in August 2026 that Komodo Airport kept operating with schedule adjustments. That means disruption was reported even without a closure. For a trip now, your airline's current schedule outranks that report, and our page on flights to Labuan Bajo explains the routes in general terms. If you hold a ticket from before the earthquake, check that its flight number and times are still the same.

What was still closed?

The same report said Kelimutu, Wae Rebo and other Flores sites were still closed at that time. Those are overland destinations elsewhere on Flores and they sit outside the park, so they do not bear on the boat trip itself. They do matter if you planned to combine a boat with an overland journey, in which case check each one separately. Closed in August tells you nothing certain about today, in either direction.

What should you check now?

Authorities warned that aftershocks could continue, according to Jakarta Globe, and the Labuan Bajo Flores tourism authority (BPOLBF) set up a tourism information hotline, with details in that article. Before you book or before you travel on an existing booking, work through this:

1. Current official status. Contact BPOLBF or the park authority, and read any notice dated after the reports here.
2. Your government's travel advice. Read your government's current advice.
3. Your insurer. Ask how your policy treats the earthquake and its aftershocks.
4. Your boat provider, in writing. Ask which named stops are running today, whether any route has changed since August 2026, and when it last confirmed that.
5. Your airline. Confirm your flight and its current timing.
6. Your hotel. Ask about the state of the building and the services running.

Be careful with any answer that amounts to "all fine". A seller's reassurance is not an official finding, and that applies to the desk behind this site as well.

Is it safe to take a 4-day trip now?

The reports do not answer that. None of them says the area is safe or unsafe for a boat trip today. They say activity resumed, and none of them is an assessment of risk to you. Aftershock counts up to 5 September also say nothing on what comes next. Three nights aboard is a long commitment, so weigh that and whether you would rather postpone. If you are thinking of postponing, ask your provider what its change terms are.

This page reports statements that will age, and it should be read with its dates in view. If it seems stale when you read it, trust newer official notices over anything written here. Short answers on other topics are on our Komodo 4D3N FAQ page.

What else are travellers asking since the earthquake?

Is Labuan Bajo open after the earthquake?

Jakarta Globe reported in August 2026 that Marina Labuan Bajo was back to normal. That is a dated report and not a current status, so check with your hotel, your provider and the tourism authority before you travel.

Is Padar Island reopened after the Flores earthquake?

Jakarta Globe reported in August 2026 that activities had resumed at Padar. It did not detail individual trails or viewpoints. Ask your provider what is running at Padar on your dates, and when it last confirmed this.

Is Rinca Island open after the Flores earthquake?

The August 2026 Jakarta Globe report said activities had resumed at Loh Buaya, the visitor area on Rinca. Maika Dive's 26 August update lists the park as open, which is a seller's statement about the park as a whole, so confirm the present position with the provider or the park authority.

Is Komodo Island open after the earthquake?

The same August 2026 report said activities had resumed at Loh Liang, the visitor area on Komodo Island. Reports age quickly in this kind of situation, so treat it as a starting point and check it again.

Is a 4-day trip to Komodo safe after the earthquake?

No report makes a safety finding either way, and this page does not either. Authorities warned of continuing aftershocks in August 2026. Read your government's current travel advice, speak to your insurer and put your questions to the boat provider in writing.

Are Komodo boat tours safe after the earthquake?

Reports say sailing access reopened, which is not the same as a safety assessment of any boat. We do not rate or vouch for vessels. Ask the provider what has changed since August 2026 and what it would do in an aftershock.

Which sources support this page?

• Jakarta Globe (press): what tourists need to know after the earthquake
• Wikipedia: 2026 Flores earthquake
• Maika Dive: earthquake travel update
• Ocean Earth Travels: Flores earthquake status

How do I reach the desk?

If you hold a booking or a question about dates, the desk can ask providers and will say when it has no answer. It cannot certify that any place or boat is safe. You should also know that a desk request can end in a paid booking, which is a commercial interest on our side, and nothing is agreed without a written offer showing price, fee and contracting company.

• WhatsApp: +62 811-3823-875
• Email the desk